Brodie Croyle

Croyle is an unheralded athlete who was starting to emerge as a junior before a knee injury in the third game ended his 2004 season. Playing for Alabama was almost a given for this prep All-American. His father, John, was a defensive end for Bear Bryant's 1971-73 Crimson Tide teams and his sister, Reagan, was a member of Alabama's women's basketball team and served as Homecoming Queen in 2000. His father also founded Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home and school for children from troubled and abusive situations. Croyle was a Super Prep All-American at Westbrook Christian High School. Despite missing his senior season with a torn left knee anterior cruciate ligament, he was named to the Birmingham News Super Senior team. He set Alabama state career-records with 9,323 yards and 105 touchdowns. He also holds the state record for passing yards in a single game (528), passing yards in a season (3,787), touchdown passes in a season (44) and touchdown passes in a game (seven, a tie). For his career, Croyle completed 524-of-997 passes with 37 interceptions. Croyle was considered by many to be the number one high school prospect in the nation. He passed for 2,838 yards and 38 touchdowns with just seven interceptions as a junior. He finished his career holding nine Alabama state passing records. Croyle graduated early and enrolled in Alabama in January 2001 in order to participate in spring drills, becoming the first recruit of the Dennis Franchione era. He redshirted in 2001 and saw action in twelve games in 2002. Despite starting only twice that year, Croyle became the first Tide quarterback since 1989 (Gary Hollingsworth) to throw for over 1,000 yards in a season. He completed 60 of 123 attempts (48.8 percent) for 1,046 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added three rushing touchdowns and finished the year with 1,044 yards in total offense. With Tyler Watts having graduated, Croyle took over as the team's starting quarterback in 2003. He completed 182 of 341 passes (53.4 percent) for 2,303 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He joined Scott Hunter (2188 in 1969), Mike Shula (2009 in 1985), Gary Hollingsworth (2379 in 1989) and Freddie Kitchens (2124 in 1996) as the only players in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season. The 2004 season looked like it was going to become Croyle's "coming out" party, as he connected on 66.7 percent of his passes (44-of-66) for 534 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions in three games. However, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee vs. Western Carolina. Croyle underwent surgery, missing the rest of the season. He was fully recovered by 2005 fall camp and was chosen one of the team's captains for the upcoming season. Croyle returned to the starting lineup as a senior. He completed 183 of 308 passes (59.4 percent) for 2,224 yards, thirteen touchdowns and only four interceptions, adding a score on 60 carries. His 308 pass attempts and 2,224 yards rank third and his 183 completions rank second on the school's single-season record list. Despite leading the team to a 9-0 record from the start of the season, Croyle struggled in the Tide's final three contests. During that span, he hit on 46-of-87 passes for 410 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, but also fumbled the ball four times while getting sacked nineteen times for losses of 138 yards. In 37 games with the Crimson Tide, Croyle started 25 contests. He completed 469 of 838 passes (56.0 percent) for 6,107 yards, 40 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. He carried 179 times for minus-183 yards and four scores, gaining 5,924 yards in total offense. Croyle ranks second in school history for pass attempts and holds the Tide career-records for pass completions, yards passing and touchdown tosses.

positives...has a strong throwing arm that generates good velocity...shows quick feet getting back to his throwing point...has enough agility to avoid the pass rush when the pocket collapses...tough, savvy field leader who does a nice job checking off on the pre-snap and shows awareness to pick up defensive schemes...throws a tight spiral in the short area, doing a good job of hitting his receivers in stride...when he keeps his feet under, he can deliver the ball with good touch and accuracy...makes good decisions and would rather take a sack than throw the ball up for grabs...plays with confidence and has total control in the huddle...good program type who worked hard in the training room to rehabilitate from his knee injury...has the confidence needed to make all of his throws and while not a "rah-rah" type, he knows how to get the most out of his teammates...has better accuracy throwing to the perimeter than over the middle...has the slide agility to avoid pocket pressure...effective going through progressions and finding his secondary targets...will take a hit and instantly bounce back up (tough player)...has the intelligence to retain plays and easily takes them from the board to the field.

Negatives...Has lean muscle development, narrow shoulders and hips and a frame that needs to add at least another ten pounds of muscle and bulk...Durability issues arise, as he has suffered torn anterior cruciate ligaments in each knee...Lacks the speed and burst to be effective as a running threat and the knee injuries again come into play...Better throwing from the pocket than on the move, as he does not always set his feet right while in motion, causing some lost velocity...Has a bit of a wind-up in his release, but does get the ball out quickly...Generally throws over the top, but when flushed out of the pocket, he will revert to a three-quarter or sidearm delivery (not often)...Better thrower to the perimeter than when going across the middle (makes his receivers work for the ball with his tendency to try to thread the needle in tight quarters)...It was thought that he had enough agility to avoid the pass rush, but he lacks the timed speed or burst to run into the second level and his nineteen sacks in his final three regular season games in 2005 have to be a concern.

he is best when working the short to intermediate area, as he shows good sense in the pocket and is a natural thrower with the accuracy to put the ball where his receivers can catch it while running in stride. croyle is a good competitor with the arm strength to move the chains. however, he lacks ideal size and bulk for the position despite showing the toughness to absorb the hits stepping up in the pocket.

Croyle needed a solid showing in 2005 and was putting together an effective campaign until the final three games, when he suddenly struggled to direct the offense, avoid sacks and protect the ball. In the final three games of 2005, he fumbled four times, had a pair of passes intercepted and was also sacked nineteen times, including an incredible eleven sacks against Auburn.

croyle is a strong-armed quarterback with the ability to demonstrate touch and velocity on all of his throws from the pocket. he has adequate speed in setting up to his throwing point and enough foot quickness to step up, slide and avoid the pass rush. he is a quick decision maker who does a very good job of scanning the field and improvising to contest defensive schemes.

Croyle has a snappy over-the-top release with good footwork through his delivery when standing in the pocket, but loses some velocity when he sometimes throws off his back foot on the move. He does a good job of hitting the receivers coming out of their breaks on short throws and can hit the outside shoulder of his targets when going long. He does lose some accuracy when firing across the middle of the field, as he tries to thread the needle and force the ball into tight quarters when he shouldn't.

croyle is especially effective on short throws, screens and fade routes, doing a nice job of sitting in the pocket rather than bail out and run with the ball at the first sign of pressure. he has good awareness of zone coverages and has improved his ability to locate his secondary receivers. he generates good touch going down field and gets the ball off quick enough rather than wait too long for routes to develop.

Croyle is the type who will take what the defenses give him rather than try to make things happen when nothing is there. He is not considered a threat to run with the ball and with two major knee injuries during his career, will never be the one to win any foot races. He shows the ability to complete timing patterns and does a nice job of distributing the ball to all of his targets. He has good command in the huddle, will take a hit rather than force the ball and will quickly jump back up when he takes a punishing hit.

1997: Suffered a left elbow dislocation during his high school freshman year (10/01). 2000: Missed his high school senior season with a torn left knee anterior cruciate ligament. 2003: Suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder vs. Georgia (10/04) that would limit him to only one play vs. Georgia (10/04) and forced him to sit out vs. Southern Mississippi (10/11)... Underwent shoulder surgery Dec. 11 to repair the labrum. 2004: Suffered a torn right knee anterior cruciate ligament early in the third quarter vs. Western Carolina (9/18), missing the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on Sept. 20. 2005: Suffered bruised ribs vs. Auburn (11/19) that continued to bother him throughout practices leading up to the Cotton Bowl.

Campus: 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash

275-pound bench press

33.5-inch vertical jump

31 ½-inch arm length

10-inch hands

Right-handed

24/42 Wonderlic score.

Attended Westbrook Christian (Rainbow City, Ala.) High School, playing football for coach Tony Osborne

Super Prep All-American

Despite missing his senior season with a torn left knee anterior cruciate ligament, he was named to the Birmingham News Super Senior team

Set Alabama state career-records with 9,323 yards and 105 touchdowns

Also holds the state record for passing yards in a single game (528), passing yards in a season (3,787), touchdown passes in a season (44), and touchdown passes in a game (seven, a tie). For his career, Croyle completed 524-of-997 passes with 37 interceptions

Was considered by many to be the No. 1 high school prospect in the nation

Passed for 2,838 yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior

Had only seven interceptions that season

Finished his career holding nine Alabama state passing records

Graduated early and enrolled in Alabama in January 2001 in order to participate in spring drills, becoming the first recruit of the Dennis Franchione era.

Consumer Affairs/Human Environmental Sciences major

Son of Teresa and John Croyle

Father was a defensive end for Bear Bryant's 1971-73 Crimson Tide teams

Sister, Reagan, was a member of Alabama's women's basketball team and served as Homecoming Queen in 2000

His father also founded Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home and school for children from troubled and abusive situations

Born 2/06/83

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